


Surprise!

by Rhianona



Category: Doctor Who, Torchwood
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-06-19
Updated: 2008-06-19
Packaged: 2017-10-10 12:24:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,177
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/99701
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rhianona/pseuds/Rhianona
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Torchwood hosts some guests as a favor to the Doctor. Why do they know Ianto? What else is he hiding?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Surprise!

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: [insert witty comment] Doctor Who and Torchwood don't belong to me  
> Originally written for miss_zedem's a Great plot device commentathon. This was my submission. It is loosely connected to Fanfare but there is no need to read that to read this. Also note that this scenario is completely unlikely to happen, given the angst driven route Fanfare is determined to go. Plot device used: Ianto as a companion

As much as it pained him, Jack was used to Ianto constantly surprising him. It could be something as small as identifying the _exact_ way he liked his coffee on the _very_ first day of his employment at Three or as big as well, hiding a half-converted Cyberwoman in the Hub's basement. But this? This was far beyond any of his musings on what surprise Ianto would next pull out of his hat.

It had seemed simple enough at the time: the Doctor had phoned Martha, who had phoned Jack to ask if Torchwood-3 could make sure that two of the Doctor's former companions were safe. One of the Doctor's enemies had decided to target the former Companions of the Doctor and while most of the plots had been diverted before they became a problem, the Doctor was worried about the very first of his Companions. He wanted them safe while he tracked down the perpetrator. Jack had agreed and, once he had reached them on the phone, had directed them to Cardiff and the Tourist Centre. The Hub should safely protect them from whatever might occur.

The Chestertons - call us Ian and Barbara please - were a lovely couple, quite polite in a way that all former school teachers can be. They looked around the Hub with no small degree of interest; upon spying Myfanwy, Ian had commented that the Doctor had never managed to take them that far back in time, though they had given man fire. Jack raised his eyebrow at that and made a note to ask for more details on that later. He was sure the story was fascinating. Besides, he wanted to know more about the first incarnation of the Doctor - see if he was anything like the two with whom he had travelled.

Just as Jack finished giving them a tour of the Hub and introducing them to his team, Ianto emerged from the kitchen with a tray of perfectly prepared beverages. "And this is Ianto Jones, our archivist. He also makes sure we get where we need to be," Jack said.

"Aunt Barbara! Uncle Ian! What are you doing here?" Ianto asked, surprised even as the two exclaimed at the sight of him.

Jack sputtered next to them. "Wait. What? You know Ianto?" He thought all of Ianto's relatives lived in Wales and were Welsh - something Ian and Barbara were most certainly not. Owen snickered, enjoying the looks cycling through Jack's face. Ianto placed the tray on a nearby table and walked towards Ian and Barbara, embracing them.

Ianto turned to Jack, hands on his hip. "So why are they here?"

Ian answered as Jack still didn't seem capable of answering - at least not in a coherent fashion.  
"The Doctor asked him to look after us. Apparently we're all in danger. I'm surprised he didn't call you and warn you. Even if you do work for Torchwood, you should be aware of any danger aimed at his former Companions," he said with a frown.

"Companion?" Jack asked in a choked voice even as Ianto closed his eyes and muttered a few choice words in Welsh. Gwen giggled as she heard them. Tosh watched with growing interest and wished she had some popcorn. This was far more entertaining than waiting for her translation program to stop running.

"Why don't we go to the conference room?" Ianto asked with no small amount of desperation. Jack could only nod and grabbed his arm, all but dragging him to the room. Ian and Barbara exchanged a small smile before following.

"You? Companion?" Jack asked, confused as soon as everyone joined them. Ianto sighed before nodding.

"I travelled with the Doctor and Ian and Barbara and Susan for about two years before he brought me back to Wales," he confirmed. He conveniently forgot to mention that that trip was only the first time. Unfortunately, Ian and Barbara had no such compunction.

"He's also travelled with the Doctor a number of times since," Ian offered helpfully.

"Oh yes! Why just the other week, Sarah Jane was reminiscing with us about the trip Ianto took with her and her Doctor," Barbara added. Ianto just groaned and laid his head on the table. "In fact, haven't you travelled with just about every incarnation of the Doctor ?"

"No," Ianto said, with a frown. "Most of them, but not all." Not this latest one and Ianto didn't think he wanted to, not after Canary Wharf. It was just too painful, even though he knew the Doctor had saved them all. He wasn't proud of his actions after the Battle - bringing Lisa here and trying to save her. He quickly turned his mind from that train of thought.

"All of them," Jack said flatly. "You're a companion. And you never mentioned this, why?"

"Wasn't important," Ianto stated.

"Not important. Not important that you travelled with Torchwood's designated enemy."

"Well it's not like you advertised it either!" Ianto tried to say in his defense.

"That's not the point," Jack said stubbornly, arms folded across his chest.

"God Jack. Then what is?" Ianto asked, rolling his eyes.

"I just need to know these things!" He then frowned as he had a sudden thought. "How did Yvonne hire you if you were a Companion?"

"She didn't know," Ianto stated with a smirk. "Do you really think I would allow something like that to remain in my file?"

"Wait - what?" Tosh interjected. She _knew_ how thorough a background check Torchwood made - she had done a number of them in fact. For Ianto to hide something of this magnitude was impressive and not for the first time, she wondered of what exactly he was capable.  
Barbara laughed. "Still pretending to know less than you do, I see." She turned towards the others.

"Both Ian and I were absolutely convinced something strange was going on between the way Ianto and Susan acted. It's why we followed them home and met the Doctor. Poor Susan couldn't keep all her facts straight - kept mixing up when events happened. And Ianto! Ianto preferred his drawings to anything else in the class room."

"Aunt Barbara!" Ianto exclaimed, a dull flush spreading on his checks.

"Come now. You know it's true."

"I know. But did you have to tell them?" he asked, jabbing a hand at his team who still looked at him as if he had grown a second head - except for Jack, who just scowled at him as if Ianto had personally offended him. And maybe he had but honestly! It's not like Jack didn't hide most of his life. Wasn't he allowed to have _some_ secrets?

Barbara and Ian just laughed. "Only you Ianto," Ian commented, shaking his head. They sat back and watched as their young friend was interrogated by his teammate and captain, making sure to fill in any bits Ianto chose to willfully forget to include. After all, it wasn't often they got to speak about their travels like this. And if it embarrassed Ianto? Well that was just the price of being a Doctor's Companion.


End file.
